Fir-e-escape



lniarriln STATES' PATENT ormoni.

JOHN WY. PATTEN AND GRIFFITH P.

TERRY, OF ALBANY, NEYV YORK.

sian-ESCAPE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 28,898, dated June 26, 1860.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN XV. PATTEN and GRIFFITH P. TERRY, of Albany, in the county of Albany and State of New York, have invented a new and useful apparatus or windlass used as a fire escape to be applied to the window frame of any building by lneans of sockets or hinges.'

It is light, convenient and simple in construction, and possesses important advantages over all other contrivances for a similar purpose, which will be clearly and distinctly set forth in the following specification.

The nature of our invention is as follows: A drum or reel, upon which the escape rope is wound, is secured to a shaft which revolves in journals fixed in the frame of the machine, constructed of light wrought iron. Upon one end of said shaft is secured a spur wheel which gears into a pinion on a short shaft, projecting beyond the frame to receive a sheave pulley or crank, by turning which the drum or reel is made to revolve (this arrangement is attached for the pur pose of using the apparatus as a crane for hoisting, when not required as a fire escape). v The other end of the said shaft carries a pinion which gears into a spur wheel on a short shaft which revolves in bearings secured to the frame. Said shaft projects a sufficient distance to receive a spiral elastic spring which is wound around and firmly fixed to it. at one end while the other end is secured to a stud fixed in the frame.

The reel or drum shaft is provided with two friction pulleys one at each end and also two bands or brakes for each, connected together at the forward end of the frame. One of these bands or brakes passes over and the other under each friction pulley. rl`he back ends are extended apart and connected by a strap which passes through a slot in a shaft situated at equal distances from thegfriction bands or brakes. Said shaft is secured to the frame by journals and is provided with a sheave pulley to which a check rope is secured which slides freely through a leather thimble or sleeve attached to the escape rope.

The operation is as follows: The windlass being secured to a window frame by means of the swivel bracket and socket the person wishing to escape from fire swings the machine out and places himself in the loop on the escape rope at the same time holding the thimble or sleeve. He begins to descend by his own gravity, and should the motion be too rapid it is instantly checked by squeea ing the leather thimble or sleeve against the check rope, thereby turning the sheave pulley and shaft and winding the strap which draw the friction bands o-r brakes against the drum or reel, checking the revolutions of the same at will. The brakes can be applied by anyone above or below, thus render` ing the apparatus more secure when women or children are to be lowered down and as the escape rope descends the pinion on the drum or reel drives the wheel secured to the shortl shaft and winds a large elastic spring tightly around the same the force becoming greater as the distance increases and when the weight is removed from the escape rope the recoil of the spring drives the drum or reel in the opposite direction thereby winding up the rope with great rapidity, which has been fully tested by recent experiments made by us. The whole arrangement forms a simple and efficient means of preserving life from the calamity of fire and the expense of construction is trifling.

Having thus shown the novelty of our contrivance we will now proceed to describe it and certify that the following drawing and specification are a full and correct representation of the same, like letters corresponding with like parts.

Figure l represents a side elevation of the re escape windlass secured to a window frame and ready for use. Fig. 2 represents an end view of the same. Fig. 3 represents a plan of the apparatus. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section showing the means of applying the brakes and friction bands to the drum or reel and also the thimbl'e or leather sleeve.

A, Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4i, is the wrought iron frame; B, the bracket secured to the same; C, an upright shaft connecting the bracket with a brace (c) and which is provided with journals which fit into the sockets D D secured firmly to the window frame. j

E is the escape rope coiled on the drum or reel.

F and (f) is the main shaft secured t-o and revolving in journals in the frame A.

Gr is the spur gear keyed to the main shaft and meshing into the pinion H keyed to a shortshaft (h) which revolves in journals in the frame A. and projects beyond it a sufficient distance to receive the pulley or crank I.

J J are the friction drum or reel.

F and K K are the friction bands or brakes applied to them.

L is a shaft secured in journals to the frame A and provided With a sheave pulley M constructed with a groove to receive the check rope N.

O O are straps which pass through slots cut in shaft L the ends of Which are secured to the friction bands or brakes K K', (this is represented at Fig. 4,) the red dotted lines indicating the brakes when applied.

The check rope N passes through a leather sleeve or thirnble P secured to the escape rope E, by squeezing Which the sheave pulley revolves and the straps O O are Wound around the shaft L, thereb operating brakes K K. The other end of tie main shaft (f) is provided With a pinion Q Which gears into a spur Wheel R secured to a short shaft (r) pulleys secured to the revolving in bearings in the frame A and projecting out far enough to receive the spiral spring S one end of Which is secured Y firmly to it and the other end is attached to the frame by means of the stud T. As the rope E descends the drum or reel F revolves turning the pinion Q and Wheel R and Winding the spiral spring S around the shaft (r) and When the Weight is removedfrom the escape rope E the elasticity lof the spiral spring S drives the Wheel R, and pinion Q, and moves the drum or reel in opposite direction, thereby Winding the escape rope E up with great rapidity and saving time and trouble.

Vhat we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- The arrangement of the spring and the check rope (N) in their relation to the brakes (K K) and to the drum or reel (F) as herei'n set forth.

JOHN W. PATTEN. GRIFFITH P. TERRY.

Witnesses:

JOHN LATTA, BARTW. J. HACKETT. 

